Nicole+Wong

__**Grades taught & duration:**__ 9th (1 1/2 months), 12th (full school year) and 5th (one day!) __**Content taught:**__ ELA
 * [[image:teachersexploringtechnology/me2.jpg caption="me2.jpg"]] || __**Years as an educator:**__ ONE!
 * __Amount of times thought about quitting:__** 1,109
 * __Amount of times that I shook it off and pressed forward:__** 1,109!!!

Hello! My name is Nicole Wong and I like long walks through carnivals, the shows //Hey Arnold!// and //Psych,// gospel music and making songs on the piano/guitar. I decided to join Teach For America moments after discovering what the program was all about. In a way, I knew that it would help me accomplish several aspirations of mine: I've always wanted to impact young adults in a positive way, I have kind of wanted to be a teacher and I like giving people second chances (and students need that more than any other group of people I can think of). I feel that students need someone to say, "Look you've messed up, but I'm not quitting on my belief that you can and will do better so, you aren't going to either". ||
 * I'm not sure what type of introduction everyone decided to go with, but for me, I want to talk about the coolest teacher moments I have had thus far:
 * 1) There was an emergency drill one day where we had to lock the doors, cover the windows and have students hide. It was not in the daily agenda and actually turned out to be a real situation where a student had brought a weapon on campus. Anywho, the man I love and will marry someday (TMI??) was there because he teaches my Seniors SAT math on his own time and my smallest ELA class was with me during this period. The students were genuinely scared and I pulled Jesaiah aside with me and expressed that I was freaking out because I had no idea what was going on. We didn't know what to do, but I began to keep the students at ease by quietly (because we had to be quiet as mice) entertaining them. I made a sign that said, "Don't worry I will protect you!" and that produced some silent giggles. I also began to create a barrier in front of the door that included the projector cart, a chair and myself sitting in the chair while holding that sign. It was probably too childish and unprofessional to share, but looking back, I do feel pride and joy in knowing the students weren't scared because they felt sincerely self with that man with us AND because I wasn't freaking out.
 * 2) Jesaiah teaching the girls Math for the SAT---they felt special...they felt loved that someone would take their time to help them like that.
 * 3) I always played piano and guitar. I thought students how to play "Thinking Out Loud" and some Christian Club members how to play songs for the club's praise and worship times..songs like "We Believe" by Newsboys.
 * 4) A few of my students and I created a really cool game where we have to sing a song and depending on the number of people who join in and sing along with us, we got points.
 * 5) I bought all of my students Christmas gifts BUT instead of preparing them for that...I made them study for the weekly quiz......when each class found out it was a joke, they were sworn to secrecy and had to convince the other Seniors that it was the hardest quiz of their life. After each class experienced the joke, some latecomers were ushered to my classroom by their friends. What unveiled was hilarious: Three students were told they missed the quiz and should beg me to take it before they receive a really bad 3rd marking period grade. They were anxious and I was giddy. I began to make up questions that were associated with out current Unit, but made absolutely no sense. I believe I asked them to explain what steps do we take when we compare and contrast encyclopedias with comic books and a few other sucker-punches. The looks on their face was priceless and the best part was that they happened to come one right after the other. Each individual who had to undergo that fake quiz got to partake in the joke, well accept for the last girl. || WHAT I LOVE MOST

ABOUT THE

EXPERIENCES

THAT I CONSIDER

 MY FAVORITE

TEACHER MOMENTS

 IS THAT THEY

RARELY HAVE TO

DO WITH THE

CURRICULUM OR

LESSON PLANS THAT

 I SPEND HOURS

PLANNING. MY

FAVORITE MOMENTS REVOLVE AROUND

LOVE. I TOLD MY

STUDENTS THAT

<span style="color: #a518bf; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive;">FIVE YEARS FROM NOW..THEY WILL

<span style="color: #a518bf; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive;">FORGET MY NAME...

<span style="color: #a518bf; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive;">BUT ALWAYS THEY

<span style="color: #a518bf; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive;"> WILL REMEMBER

<span style="color: #a518bf; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive;">THAT THEY ARE LOVED. ||